Governance & Risk Management , Government , Healthcare
Genomics sequencing firm Illumina Inc. has agreed to pay $9.8 million to resolve False Claims Act whistleblower allegations that it sold software and systems containing cybersecurity vulnerabilities to government agencies over more than seven years.
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The U.S. Department of Justice said Illumina, which is headquartered in California but incorporated in Delaware, sold genomic sequencing systems with software containing vulnerabilities between February 2016 and September 2023 and "without having an adequate security program and sufficient quality systems to identify and address those vulnerabilities."
"Companies that sell products to the federal government will be held accountable for failing to adhere to cybersecurity standards and protecting against cybersecurity risks," said Brett Shumate, assistant attorney general of the justice department's civil division in a statement issued Thursday.
Ilumina in a statement provided to Information Security Media Group said that while the company denies the government's allegations, it agreed to settle the dispute to avoid the uncertainty, expense and distraction of litigation.
"The allegations related to software issues, which Illumina successfully remediated for customers in 2022-2024. Government agencies, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, are important customers and Illumina values...
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